Blog

The Food and Drug Administration last week announced that it has approved the first mobile app to help treat individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). The app, known as Reset, uses cognitive-behavioral therapy and is intended to be used in combination with outpatient therapy to treat alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and stimulant SUDs. The goal is to increase retention in outpatient therapy programs and promote abstinence from substance abuse. The app is not intended to be used for the...

We want to hear from communities that have placed a priority on health and are creating powerful partnerships and deep commitments to provide everyone, especially those facing the greatest challenges, with the opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. If your community is using innovative ways to catalyze and sustain positive change, take the time to learn more about what it takes to be an RWJF Culture of Health Prize winner. Register to join the informational webinar on September...

We are thrilled to announce the Fall Chat Series on ACEs Connection. Join these experts who will be chatting about ACEs, neurofeedback, self-care and guided imagery. Sebern Fisher / Neurofeedback for ACEs Oct. 10th (10 AM /1 PM EST) Donna Jackson Nakazawa / Well-Being, Self-Care & ACEs Nov. 14th (10 AM /1 PM EST) Belleruth Naparstek / Guided Imagery & ACEs Dec. 12th (10 AM / 1 PM EST)

Toxic stresses combined with poor infrastructure threaten hundreds of thousands of residents of U.S. communities on the Mexican border, according to new research that examines living conditions in the impoverished colonias. Texas counties lack zoning authority, except in a few designated areas, such as near dams or military bases. So for decades unincorporated colonias have been built throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley. They often lack paved roads, electricity and sanitary services, and...

The New York Times and ProPublica have teamed up to investigate who is to blame for skyrocketing drug prices — and have turned up some surprising answers. This story was co-published with The New York Times. This much is clear: The public is angry about the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. Surveys have shown that high drug prices rank near the top of consumers’ health care concerns. What’s not as clear is exactly why prices have been rising, and who is to blame. For the last four...

A new study finds that the Midwest is heavily dependent on this “demographic lifeline.” The Rust Belt states that tipped the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump could be among the biggest losers from the proposed reductions in legal immigration that he has endorsed, according to a new study released Monday. The study, from the nonpartisan Chicago Council on Global Affairs, concludes that immigration has been “a demographic lifeline” that has helped several Midwestern cities partially...

Three new studies suggest racial economic inequality remains robust, despite the skewed views of many Americans. A new study finds Americans wildly overestimate the progress we have made toward racial economic equality. Ironically, this news comes days after other research revealed a growing wage gap between blacks and whites, as well as an entrenched hiring bias against African Americans. "These findings suggest a profound misperception of, and unfounded optimism regarding, societal...

The clients I work with tend to have a few things in common: they are smart, ambitious, and highly motivated. Most of them are also stressed to the max. From the outside, they appear powerful and poised. But on the inside, they worry about their ability to deal with the demands that come along with having a successful career. If you’re a top-performer, you can probably relate. In fact, statistics show pressure at work is the leading source of chronic stress among American adults. Having...

It would be so much easier if emotionally neglectful parents wore a sign on their heads. And although many, if they are more obvious, like narcissistic, authoritarian or addicted parents, may be far easier to identify..., most emotionally neglectful parents are generally well-meaning. They want to be good parents, but they simply do not know what to do. They do not know that they need to validate their children’s emotions, or how to do it. Here’s the most important point: it does not matter...

Connecticut has been at the forefront of the national movement to reduce suspensions and expulsions of young children in recent years. School suspensions and expulsions can be harmful for children, particularly in the earliest grades. When a young child’s challenging behavior is met with exclusionary discipline rather than behavioral health support they are at greater risk for negative outcomes in the areas of social-emotional development, behavior, health, and education. In 2015,...

By all outward appearances, I grew up in a normal American family. My parents had respectable jobs in construction and nursing, a four-bedroom home, family dog and a playhouse my father built from the ground up. My sister and I participated in cheerleading and orchestra, and earned straight As in school. But my parents struggled with untreated mental health issues — my mother likely had PTSD, while my father struggled with depression. After both my paternal grandparents died (in 1999 and...

The first thing to acknowledge about diversity is that it can be difficult. In the U.S., where the dialogue of inclusion is relatively advanced, even the mention of the word “diversity” can lead to anxiety and conflict. Supreme Court justices disagree on the virtues of diversity and the means for achieving it. Corporations spend billions of dollars to attract and manage diversity both internally and externally, yet they still face discrimination lawsuits, and the leadership ranks of the...